Public-access telephonic networks, through which the telephonic communications are conducted are widely deployed. Many users communicate telephonically both for business and non-business purposes and interconnection of different telephonic networks, deployed over different geographical areas, permit users to communicate over widely disparate areas.
A user communicates by way of a telephonic network through use of a telephonic station, or set. Some conventional telephonic stations are connectable to a telephonic network by way of wireline or wireless connections.
Telephonic networks of conventional construction utilize circuit-switched communication techniques. When a circuit-switched connection is formed, a circuit-switched channel, a dedicated channel, is dedicated to the communication session between the telephonic stations for the duration of the communication session during which the communication service is effectuated. By providing the dedicated, circuit-switched connection between the telephonic stations, the connection is maintained between the telephonic stations during the communication session, irrespective of the amount of data that is communicated between the telephonic stations. Data might, for instance, be only intermittently communicated during the communication session. During times in which data is not communicated between the telephonic stations, the communication capacity dedicated to the communication session by way of the circuit-switched connection is not fully utilized. And, as a result, the communication capacity of a telephonic communication system that utilizes circuit-switched connections is usually inefficiently utilized.
Telephonic networks are increasingly constructed in manners that permit communications between telephonic stations upon shared channels using shared-channel communication techniques. By providing for communications using shared channels rather than dedicated channels, the communication capacity of the communication system is able to be utilized more efficiently.
Packet-based communication schemes, for instance, utilize packet-switched connections permitting shared channels to be used upon which to communicate data. Packet-formatted data is formed of discrete packets, the communication of which is permitted at discrete intervals. The same channel that is used to communicate data packets pursuant to a first communication session to effectuate a first communication service between a first set of telephonic stations is used also to communicate data packets in a second communication session, essentially concurrent with the first communication session, but between a second set of telephonic stations. A multiple increase in the communication capacity of the communication system, relative a corresponding circuit-switched communication system, is possible.
Packet-formatting of the data is generally performed according to a standardized protocol. Various packet formatting protocols have been promulgated, some at different logical layers, and telephonic communication networks have been constructed to be operable to communicate data formatted according to such standard formatting protocols. Packet data networks include, for instance, the internet backbone networks permitting of general public access. Telephonic stations that are connectable to the internet backbone are commercially available and their usage has become increasingly popular. Communication costs associated with their use is generally less than, and sometimes substantially less than, the costs associated with telephonic communications by way of a conventional, circuit-switched communication system. So-called, SIP-phones are exemplary of these telephonic stations. SIP-phones utilize a session initiation protocol (SIP). More generally, telephonic stations connectable to packet networks are referred to as packet-based phones. SIP-phones are peer-to-peer devices in that they are capable of direct communications by way of an appropriate communication fabric without requiring the communication fabric to provide functionality, other than, e.g., for the communication connection and routing of communication data.
SIP-Phones and other packet-based phones are increasingly utilized in commercial applications, such as telephonic call centers in which call center agents utilize SIP-Phones pursuant to call center operations. Many conventional call centers have used conventional telephonic stations that are connected, by way of a PBX (Private Branch Exchange), with a public switched telephonic network. Typically, the call center PBX is also connected to a computer telephony integration device, such as a CTI server to which a personal computer is positioned in communication connectivity. The computer telephony integration device provides CTI information to users of the telephonic stations at the call center.
The CTI information is typically provided to a user by way of a display screen of the personal computer, or the like, positioned at, or near, the work area of the user. CTI-sourcing functionality is conventionally embedded at a PBX and is used in conjunction with the CTI server to cause information to be used pursuant to call center operations to be displayed. That is to say, conventionally, call centers utilize screen-pop, click-to-dial, and customer relationship management (CRM) applications in order to achieve increased agent productivity, enhanced customer service, and reduced cost. This functionality is typically achieved by coupling a CTI link from the PBX of the call center, through a CTI server, to CTI client applications residing on the personal computer used at the work area of the user.
An existing ECMA (European Computer Manufacturers Association) technical report describes a manner by which to use CSTA (Computer Supported Telecommunications Applications) over a SIP session to control and observe a SIP user agent (uaCSTA). That is, a personal computer-based application can use uaCSTA directly to control and observe its associated SIP user agent phone. However, this existing manner focuses on the control of SIP phones instead of CTI sourcing functions that are more typically carried out by a PBX, which includes, e.g., routing mechanisms in addition to control functions. And, this existing manner needs the CTI application software to be revised to carry the CSTA information.
IP (Internet Protocol) PBXs are also available and also provide PBX functionality to SIP-enabled, or other packet-based, phones, such as those used at call centers. An IP PBX is also typically connected, in a call center application, to a computer telephony integration device.
When SIP-Phones are utilized rather than conventional, circuit-switched telephonic stations, a PBX may be not mandatory in the future because SIP is a peer-to-peer protocol. However, because the CTI information is currently provided through use of CTI sourcing functionally of the PBX, conventional schemes do not provide a manner otherwise conveniently to provide an agent at the call center with the CTI information.
A mechanism that would provide CTI functionality to a user of a SIP-phone at a call center without need to resort to a PBX at which the CTI-sourcing functionality is conventionally resident would therefore be advantageous. Call center agents are also generally familiar with existing CTI information interfaces, and it would be further advantageous for such mechanisms to utilize the existing CTI information interfaces, obviating the need for the call center agents to become accustomed to new interfaces.
It is in light of this background information related to packet-based telephonic stations that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.